snaggletooth
Borostomias antarcticus
Black dragonfish of the deep sea, reaching 30 cm and living below 300 m. It is of no interest to rod anglers.
Also called: peixe-dragão-negro, snaggletooth
- maximum
- 30 cm
- depth
- 300–2,630 m
who is the snaggletooth
The family Stomiidae includes the dragonfishes, deep-sea predators with elongated bodies and light organs along the body. This species reaches 30 cm and lives in deep water, from 300 to 2,630 m. During the day it usually stays below 500 m, and it feeds on fish and crustaceans that live in midwater. In Latin America it is recorded from Chile. It is taken in commercial fishing but has no value for sport fishing: it is a deep-sea fish that almost never reaches anglers who use rods.
Essential profile. Identification, where it occurs and rules, with data from FishBase and the cited regulations. Season, time of day, technique and bait are added once we have a good source for the snaggletooth.
fun facts
- During the day it usually stays below 500 m, in the mesopelagic zone of the open sea.
identification
Elongated, black body, with no well-developed pale markings. Like other dragonfishes, it has photophores, small light organs, along the belly, but without the high arch behind the base of the anal fin. Behind the eye there is a double light organ, a trait that helps set it apart from other species in the group.
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Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
Essential profile: the index uses a general fish model (weather, sun, moon and tide), without a season or time of day specific to this species.
where found
It lives in deep waters of the eastern Atlantic, from Nunavut to the Bay of Biscay, including the western Mediterranean, and in the Southern Ocean, between 35°S and 65°S. In Latin America it is recorded from Chile.
Habitat: Deep sea, 300 to 2,630 m; during the day it usually stays below 500 m.
rules for the snaggletooth
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.
catch and release
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.
Harmless to anglers. Because it lives in deep water, rapid ascent can cause barotrauma, so return it carefully.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00417, b = 3.05; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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sources and references
Essential profile: size, length-weight, depth, countries and conservation come from FishBase and the cited regulations, and the texts were written from those sources. Season, time of day, sensitivities, technique and baits and lures are not included yet, because we did not find a good source for this species.
- scientific FishBase: Borostomias antarcticus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Borostomias antarcticusNames by country and language.